Keitaro's Journey To Hell
by Axel Terizaki
Summary: Keitaro and Naru shouldn't have been studying this particular night...
1. A Stainless night? GROWN-UP WOMAN!

KEITARO'S JOURNEY TO HELL  
A Love Hina fanfic  
Written by Axel Terizaki aterizak@free.fr  
(2001 February 6th-March 22th)  
  
NARU's Diary: coming soon  
ASUKA's Notebook: http://asukanotebook.tsx.org  
  
Drafts bounced back and forth for retooling between Axel and Dave Watson,  
2001 2 19-3 21.   
  
  
-=Chapter One: A Stainless Night? GROWN-UP WOMAN!=-  
  
It's funny; two years ago exactly, I began to write my first fanfic, Neon   
Genesis Evangelion: The Child of Love...and now I've switched series and   
am ready for some fresh work!  
  
So far, I've only read up to the 5th manga volume, and watched episodes   
1-24 plus the Winter Special. If you notice any mistakes (particularly   
about exam dates and such), feel free to E-mail me and let me know.  
  
This story happens in kind of a different time line in Love Hina. Everyone   
knows Mutsumi but she hasn't reappeared yet, and Seta and Sara are gone on   
an excavation for now (but of course, expect them to come back sooner or   
later :). I think that's all...  
  
Oh, of course, needless to say, there is lime content in here. The series   
is full of slightly ecchi content, so you know what to expect here. :)  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Congratulations, Keitaro, for such a high average!"  
  
As Urashima Keitaro, almost 21 years old and kanrinin (dorm   
manager) of Hinata-sou, stepped into the living room, the five residents of   
the all-girls' dormitory were holding a streamer showing what they just   
cried in unison at his arrival. Needless to say, Keitaro was very   
surprised.  
  
"Wow, thanks, everyone! I'm really happy about it myself!"  
  
"Hey, who thought you could get only 65% after failing twice?"   
This remark from Mitsune immediately made Keitaro's morale drop.  
  
"But still...it's the best you've ever done, sempai! I'm happy for   
you!" Shinobu immediately exclaimed, trying to cheer him up a bit after   
Mitsune's puncturing.  
  
"Thanks, Shinobu-chan..."  
  
"Congrats, Keitaro! That's the way!" The young Kaolla struck a   
pose, smiling sunnily at Keitaro and holding her thumbs up. Despite her   
usual childish behaviour, she cared very much about all her roommates, and   
especially Keitaro.  
  
Keitaro just looked overjoyed to see that everyone was happy for   
him. His eyes were a bit teary from all the excitement around him and the   
overwhelmingly joyful atmosphere.  
  
"Urashima, that score is good, but you'd better not let your guard   
down, or I'll personally deal with you," Motoko warned him, still in a   
gentle tone. She didn't like him at first, but learned how to enjoy (or   
rather, tolerate) his presence in the dorm over time. Looking briefly at   
him, she then headed for the kitchen, in order to help Shinobu prepare some   
drinks. Kaolla followed her, jumping up and down as she did.  
  
"Keitaro, keep up the good work." That time, it was Naru's turn to   
praise him a bit. Keitaro wouldn't deny that he liked his study partner   
very much. Even if she was often mean to him, she sometimes showed him her   
softer, kinder side. He cherished those rare moments, and always hoped to   
see more of them in the future. That was one of the reasons why he was   
trying to get into Tokyo University now: To show Narusegawa that he wasn't   
a stupid pervert, like she often accused him of being.  
  
"T...thanks, Narusegawa! What was your average this time?"  
  
"My average...? Err..."  
  
"She got only 60%! Five points below you, Keitaro!"  
  
"Kitsune! Shut up!" Naru exclaimed, since she hadn't wanted   
Keitaro to know.  
  
"Ah..." He scratched the back of his head. "It isn't really the   
score that counts, right? I mean, it's okay if you got lower than me. The   
most important thing is that we get into Tokyo U together, right!?"  
  
Naru smiled. Sometimes he spoke wisely, and it reminded her of her   
Seta-san--always finding the right words for comforting people. In some   
ways, he and Keitaro were alike...  
  
"Yeah, you're right!" She took his hands in hers. "Let's do our   
best! I promise I'll do better than you in the test next month!"  
  
"Is that a bet!?" he asked, suddenly excited.  
  
"A bet? What would be the prize?"  
  
"Hmm...I dunno."  
  
"What's the point of making a bet if there's no prize!? Idiot!"  
  
"B-but...!"  
  
"Hey, Naru! You could go out on a date with him if he does better   
than you again!" Mitsune suddenly took part of the conversation, being as   
interested as she was in such things. Naru just narrowed her eyes at her   
friend.  
  
"That's kind of a cruel punishment, don't you think?" Naru said, in   
a comically sceptical tone. Keitaro just facefaulted.  
  
"What if I win anyway? What do you suggest, Keitaro?" she added.  
  
"Huh...I could be at your service for one week? What do you   
think?"  
  
"A personal slave, huh? Sounds good. It's settled, then!   
Kitsune, you are the witness!"  
  
"Count on me!" Mitsune exclaimed, suddenly excited about the idea.   
Naru just smiled, as Keitaro looked at her strangely.  
  
'She seems to be in a good mood today. That's nice to see. I wish   
I could see that side of her more often,' he thought.  
  
As his strange look switched to a stupid grin, he suddenly fell   
backwards. A bottle of sake had just hit him in the face with a very loud,   
resounding *bing!*  
  
"She shoots, she scooooores!" exclaimed Kaolla as she jumped up and   
down, visibly happy about the bull's-eye.  
  
"That's the spirit, Su-chan! Let's have a PARTY!!!" Mitsune   
whooped, too, raising her fist in the air.  
  
Shinobu and Motoko poured glasses of sake for Naru and a dazed   
Keitaro, and then took some soda out of the fridge for themselves. Mitsune   
knelt down, picked up the bottle sitting next to Keitaro and began to drink   
straight from it.  
  
"Aaah, now that hits the spot! Come on, Keitaro, Naru! Let's   
drink to your future success in Tokyo U!"  
  
Naru and Keitaro just exchanged glances and shrugged before   
drinking from their glasses together, looking at the rest of the girls   
getting the party started. Keitaro then rubbed his forehead, right where   
the bottle had hit him. Naru just smiled back at him.  
  
"It's already been a year since you arrived here, ne?" began Naru,   
as they both sat off to the side of the living room, drinking a bit, and   
watching the others. They both preferred to not get directly into such   
parties; Naru mostly because she always wanted to appear serious and   
studious, and Keitaro mostly because he didn't want to look like a party   
animal to her and lose her trust in him (maybe it was also survival   
instinct).  
  
"I've never been among so many girls like this in my life. You're   
all so kind to me, despite the silly things I've done, heh heh..." He   
scratched his head while saying this, feeling a bit embarrassed by Naru's   
talking to him like that.  
  
"I feel more alive than I ever have in my life since you arrived   
here. And I think everyone else here thinks the same way, too."  
  
"Well, I'm happy just being here you kn..."  
  
"Hey, you wallflowers! Get over here and have a drink with us!"   
Mitsune and Kaolla rushed towards the two with a bottle of sake and   
refilled their glasses without even asking them if they wanted more first.   
They both started drinking them immediately, because they knew that Mitsune   
and Kaolla would leave them alone again after seeing this token gesture of   
  
socializing.  
  
Unfortunately, they wouldn't this time.  
  
They lost count of how many times they had to drink, but didn't pay   
it much mind. There were no tests scheduled for almost a month, so they   
could relax a little more now. Naru would scream if she was in this state   
of mind, as she always had studies and Tokyo-U as goals. But what if it   
was a slightly drunk Naru, who was in this state of mind? It wouldn't hurt  
much, she thought.  
  
As Keitaro was beginning to get pretty drunk himself as well, he   
was slower than usual and unguarded; in other words, easy prey. Kaolla   
noticed this, and, with that swift move of hers, launched one of her flying   
kicks at Keitaro again, while laughing and screaming, "Party! Party!" like   
Mitsune, who was chatting with Motoko nearby, had earlier.  
  
"Su-chaaan! Leave him alone, will ya!? He's wor...worked-ed   
hard!"  
  
"Naru! You're drunk already?" Kaolla asked.  
  
"A-am not!" the girl replied, shaking her hand. She looked back at   
Keitaro and saw him sprawled out on the floor from drunkeness (and from   
Kaolla's kick). She then got up, and took his arm in her hand and pulled   
on it a bit, as if she trying to wake him up.  
  
"L...les' go study, Keitaro...we can't s-s-stay here. They won't   
leave all of you, err, us al-lone!" Naru stammered as she talked to the   
multiple Keitaros she was seeing. She grabbed another arm and somehow   
helped all of them stand up at the same time, even though she was not   
entirely steady herself. He just nodded and followed her, a bottle of sake   
in his hand.  
  
Unfortunately, being drunk doesn't help studying very much.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Two eyes opened.  
  
Keitaro woke up from what seemed like a long, long sleep. His mind   
was all blurry, a deep fog covering what he did the night before.  
  
The night before...he couldn't remember why; it might have been   
another obscure reason, but Mitsune and Kaolla, his two fellow tenants and   
charges as a kanrinin, dragged everyone else into a party. And since his   
mind was very foggy right now, this must have been quite a party...probably   
with lots of alcohol, judging from the hangover that sat on his brain like   
a filthy, annoying cat.  
  
It had been a long time since he last felt like this. And it   
wasn't like he wanted to remember how it felt to be hung over the morning   
after a party. Actually, his mind wasn't the only thing blurred right now.   
His sight was as well, when he realized that he wasn't wearing his glasses.  
  
The next thing that came up on his realization checklist was the   
fact that he was naked under the covers. 'Must have been too out of it to   
  
put my pajamas on,' he thought.  
  
Then he turned his head to his left, as he first looked along the   
floor. That's where he saw something that caught his bad eyesight...  
  
Narusegawa...  
  
...  
  
Narusegawa's glasses.  
  
"What the...hell?" he heard himself say aloud. He tried to look   
around, and even if his eyesight was almost as bad as a mole's, he could   
very well distinguish what he was seeing.  
  
Narusegawa...  
  
...  
  
Narusegawa's room.  
  
"What am I doing here!?" His mind raced too fast for his body to   
follow, as he laid still under the covers.  
  
His brain having processed a total scan of the left side of his   
present settings, he decided to try looking to the right. Turning his head   
the other way, his eyes met...  
  
Narusegawa...  
  
...  
  
Narusegawa's...breasts.  
  
Well, it was Narusegawa after all, right?  
  
"Na-na-na...Narusegawa!!" he almost screamed. His voice was just   
loud enough to wake the young female Toudaisei-wannabe up.  
  
It was her turn to look around her surroundings. Her eyesight   
slightly better than Keitaro's, she realized what was happening before he   
could actually decide on an escape route from his imminent death sentence.  
  
"Kei...taro?" Naru asked suspiciously. She sat up, never taking   
her eyes off him, as she used her sheets to keep her body covered.  
  
"..."  
  
"Keitaro?" Naru blurted out, all at once this time.  
  
"...I-I...I...what the...? What am I doing..."  
  
"IN MY ROOM!!!?" she screamed at him, knocking him backwards. She   
blushed as she saw his male attribute. Realizing this, he grabbed his   
boxer shorts off the floor, turned away from her, and put them on quickly.   
The two students then looked at each other for a minute that seemed to last   
for hours.  
  
"Get the hell out of here before I grab something to wear and put   
you into Pluto's orbit," Naru declared calmly, frowning at him, and then   
put a hand on her forehead, trying to calm down her own drink-induced   
pounding.  
  
"Ah y-yes!" He quickly searched the room for the rest of his   
belongings, grabbed them one by one, put his glasses (found on the floor   
near Naru's) on, and headed for the door.  
  
"Naru? Why are you being so noisy this early in the morning?"   
Keitaro's glasses came into eye contact with Mitsune's all-seeing closed   
eyes as she opened Naru's door before Keitaro could reach the doorknob.  
  
Mitsune looked down at Keitaro's body, noticed the boxer shorts,   
looked further into the room, and saw Naru clutching her sheets around her   
nude body. Needless to say, Mitsune came to a quick conclusion.  
  
"At last!! I knew you two were doing more than just studying! It   
was just a matter of time before I found out!" Mitsune exclaimed, with a   
big grin on her face.  
  
"I--it's not what you think!" Keitaro and Naru replied in unison,   
both confused.  
  
"Oh? Then you mean you two didn't have sex last night?" Mitsune   
asked, with an even wider grin. Both Keitaro and Naru blushed a deep shade   
of red.  
  
"Wait a min-"  
  
"Don't worry, I'll go and leave you two lovebirds alone. See ya!"   
she said before closing the door in Keitaro's face.  
  
"Oh, god...I'm dead..." he said, in a deep, doomed tone, two heavy   
streams of tears running down his face.  
  
"Get out...of my room!" Naru almost screamed, throwing her alarm   
clock at him. He tried to dash out quickly, but the clock bounced off of   
his head anyway.  
  
Keitaro opened the door and stepped outside, then ran to his room   
to get dressed. Naru didn't know what to think. What could they have   
possibly done last night? Her mind was so blurry...Mitsune must have made   
her drink a lot...it might even have been a plan of hers to get them   
together...then, a thought struck her. Did they do *it*? Did they have   
sex like Mitsune said? In her head, she quickly put together a theory of   
probability. If you take into account that they were both drunk, naked,   
under the same covers, and without their glasses...they *must* have done   
it. She thought about that for a few minutes, then decided to go take a   
shower, as she tried to persuade herself that none of this ever happened.  
  
Unfortunately, as she got up and inspected her sheets...  
  
"Oh, damn..."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Sempai, are you all right?" Shinobu asked Keitaro as they finished   
preparing breakfast for everyone in Hinata-sou. Shinobu always liked to   
  
help Keitaro when it was his turn to cook. Actually, it was often his   
turn, since Mitsune was always reminding him that he was the kanrinin of   
the household. She couldn't deny she had kind of a crush on him, even if   
she was too shy and considered herself too young for him.  
  
"Oh, yeah...I guess. Just a damn hangover..."  
  
"I see. You drank so much last night."  
  
"S...so much?" Keitaro began to sweat.  
  
"You and Naru-sempai drank three bottles of sake each, from what I   
remember. I went to bed early. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Three...bottles...?" This time, he added some shaking to his   
sweat. Now he began to roughly realize what might have happened that   
night...  
  
"Are you sure you're all right, sempai?"  
  
"Don't worry. I just have a terrible headache..."  
  
"Maybe you should get some rest...I'm worried about you..."  
  
Keitaro looked at her, touched by how her expression perfectly   
reflected her sincerity behind that statement. 'Oh, Shinobu-chan is   
worried about me! She's so kind and nice to me! Ah, at least there's one   
good presence in this hostile world...' he thought, smiling a bit.  
  
A voice suddenly made him snap and almost drop the kitchen knife he   
had in his hand.  
  
"So, how was your night with Naru, Keitaro?" Mitsune asked, as she  
walked down the stairs.  
  
"Wh-what the hell are you talking about!?" Sweat increased. Pulse   
rate quickened.  
  
"Sempai?" Shinobu asked, puzzled.  
  
"Hey, don't tell me you spent the night in Naru's room and didn't   
do *ANYTHING* with her!"  
  
"Don't talk like that in front of Shinobu-chan!" A puddle of sweat   
began to pool at Keitaro's feet as he turned around. His heartbeat reached   
a BPM comparable to a good hardcore techno song. How cruel of Mitsune! He   
was unprepared, his defence wasn't set yet...Damn, it actually felt like he   
was being judged...  
  
---  
  
"Urashima Keitaro. You slept in Narusegawa Naru's room, and   
sexually assaulted her whilst she was under the influence of alcohol. Do   
you acknowledge this?" Judge Mitsune Konno asked from her seat, placed so   
high that Keitaro had to look straight up to face her. She was dressed in   
an Old Bailey-style judge's robe and powdered wig, to assert her superior   
position to Keitaro.  
  
"I...I...I didn't do that..."  
  
"Liar!! We have proof!" She hit the desk with her gavel, and   
  
displayed several items on a table, as well as slides on a screen. The   
first three slides showed Keitaro and Naru drinking sake, the next two   
showed them both unsteadily walking towards Naru's room. The items on the   
table were Keitaro and Naru's glasses, and two piles of obviously roughly-   
discarded clothes belonging to each student.  
  
"All of this is overwhelming evidence of your crimes!" Judge   
Mitsune said, in a scary tone.  
  
"Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!" Keitaro screamed, putting both his   
hands on his head.  
  
---  
  
"Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!" Keitaro scr...ahem, came back to   
reality.  
  
"You didn't spend the whole night there? So how come you were in   
her room just a few minutes earlier?"  
  
"Sempai...? You didn't...?"  
  
"I don't know! Stop harassing me like this!!" he shouted to no one   
in particular. He remembered shortly afterward that doing this when   
Shinobu was talking to him was a big mistake.  
  
"Sempai..." Shinobu's eyes began to get watery...  
  
"No, no, Shinobu-chan, don't cry!"  
  
"Awwwwwwwuuuu..." The youngest of the girls at Hinata-sou couldn't   
help it. She began to panic. Besides, it's kind of her trademark, isn't   
it?  
  
"Please, Shinobu-chan...! I'm not mad!" Keitaro exclaimed,   
realizing that he wasn't controlling the situation anymore. And that was   
bad, especially when Mitsune was there.  
  
"But, Urashima-sempai..." Shinobu said through teary eyes, a bit   
confused by the whole situation.  
  
"Keitaro...!" Naru announced her entry downstairs by just calling   
his name. The last person he wanted to see right now, after Mitsune, was   
Narusegawa...  
  
"Sempai...?" Shinobu said to Keitaro, trying to get an explanation   
from him. However, she faced nothing but an empty space, as Keitaro was   
already running to his room...  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Dammit, this can't be! I can't have done *that* with Narusegawa!"   
Keitaro screamed to himself as he beat a quick retreat to his room, knowing   
he'd find some peace there...maybe.  
  
As he opened the door to his room and stepped inside, a familiar   
foot greeted him by knocking him to the floor face first, resulting only in   
a slight bruise on his cheek. Being in Hinata-sou for over a year now had   
accustomed him to physical abuse, somehow.  
  
"Hiya, Keitaro! Sleep well?" the little Kaolla greeted the Hinata-   
sou kanrinin as usual. But she had never dared do that in his last line of   
defence...uh, room before.  
  
"Suu-chan...I don't need that right now. I already have a   
headache..."  
  
"Headache? Is it delicious?"  
  
Keitaro's mouth felt like the cat that he'd woken up with on his   
brain had used it for a litter box while he slept, and his stomach churned   
like it was trying to make sake butter. "No, no, it isn't. Errr...could   
you leave me alone for a while? I need to rest..."  
  
Kaolla looked at him with puppy eyes.  
  
"Keitaro don't wanna play with me?"  
  
"...'play'?"  
  
He had a bad feeling about this for some reason. Kaolla just   
grinned.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Naru sprayed her curvy body with the detachable showerhead. She   
had a terrible hangover as well, and thought that maybe a good shower and a   
bath in the hot spring afterwards would help her get rid of that uncom-  
fortable sensation. She looked at the ceiling, and whispered to herself.  
  
"That's weird, I don't feel like anything has changed...yet."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"AAAAAH!!! Stop that, Suu-chan!"  
  
"Hiya! You're doing good, Keitaro!"  
  
The poor kanrinin was wearing a kind of mechanical turtle shell,   
and was walking down the first floor hall, but his body was aching too   
much. He could only move his hands and feet, since the shell covered most   
of his body...and worst of all, Kaolla was riding him. No, not THAT way,   
ecchis.  
  
"What do you think of my TamArmor-kun, Keitaro!?"  
  
"Not very...comfortable...unnh..." Keitaro moaned in pain.  
  
They were both passing in front of Aoyama Motoko's room, when the   
door opened.  
  
"Suu-chan, please be quiet, I'm trying to concent...AAAAH!!!   
TURTLE!!!" she exclaimed, instantly drawing her sword. Kaolla jumped off   
of Keitaro's back as fast as she could, thanks to her sharp self-   
preservation instinct.  
  
"Motoko-chan, listen..."  
  
"Hiken Zankuusen!!!"  
  
Another satellite suddenly entered Earth's orbit.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
L O V E H I N A - Keitaro's Journey To Hell (Above Average?)  
Not for sale, rent or auction! :P  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Sorry, Urashima."  
  
Motoko bowed her head. She was sitting next to Keitaro, who was   
laying in his futon.  
  
"That's okay, Motoko-chan. It didn't hurt that much." Actually,   
it couldn't possibly hurt more than the headache he was enduring. Still,   
it felt like the pain was beginning to fade.  
  
Without a word, Motoko stood up and left the room, only to discover   
an eavesdropping Mitsune...  
  
"Ah, err...Keitaro? Can I have a talk with ya?" Mitsune asked.  
  
"Sure..."  
  
Mitsune entered the room, closed the door, and leaned against the   
wall in front of Keitaro. Feeling a bit better, he sat up and listened   
carefully. Whatever she had to say, it had to be important, if she wanted   
to talk to him in his own room. Did she want to reveal her true feelings   
to him? Was she going to undress and give herself to him right here and   
now? 'No, no way. That only happens in hentai games,' he thought.  
  
"So, what's the problem, Kitsune-chan?"  
  
"Actually, Naru is the problem."  
  
"Ah...I guess I can understand that..." He looked down, his eyes   
obscured by his glasses.  
  
"You know what you did to her, right?"  
  
"Err...I'm...I'm not too sure. Actually, I'd prefer to not think   
about it."  
  
"WHAT!? You just had your way with her and you don't care about it   
at all!? The first time is important for a woman, and you just ruined it   
for her!" Obviously, Mitsune was winding him up. Such an outburst didn't   
sound right at all, especially coming from her. Keitaro wasn't going to   
fall for a play like this.  
  
"I...I did...that?" Oh, well, never mind the last comment.  
  
"Of course you did! And I'll bet you she's pregnant now!!"  
  
The lenses of Keitaro's glasses instantly disintegrated into little   
  
shards. Narusegawa...pregnant? How could this be possible? What about   
Tokyo U? She wouldn't be able to get in, or even pass the entrance exams.   
Everyone would be angry at him, and the girl of his childhood promise would   
surely turn him away, considering that he would have a child with another   
woman, and...most of all, Narusegawa would be upset about what he did, and   
not talk to him anymore...  
  
"Nah, just kidding," she chuckled, as Keitaro's face registered   
that he was about to faint.  
  
"Don't joke about things like that!!" he screamed back at her.  
  
Mitsune kept her composure.  
  
"Just...think about what you did. I know it's kinda normal for   
people our age, but still...I won't say anything to the others. They don't   
need to know...yet."  
  
"Thank you, Kitsune-chan!" Keitaro smiled, visibly happy that she   
finally admitted she was on his side.  
  
"That is..." Mitsune continued.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I need 15,000 yen for tomorrow. Can I borrow it from you?"  
  
"15,000 yen!? Uuuh...my savings..."  
  
"Thanks, Keitaro!" she grinned. "I knew you would understand! I   
won't tell anyone that you and Naru had sex!"  
  
The door of his room exploded and hit the opposite wall, surprising   
them both. As the cloud of dust lifted away, Keitaro could distinguish   
Motoko's figure.  
  
"Urashima...KEITARO! How dare you take advantage of a girl while   
she's drunk!? I will never forgive you for that! Fear my wrath! Hiken   
Fuujin Ran..." She prepared herself to strike at him again, but someone   
interrupted her.  
  
"Please, Motoko-chan..." Naru softly said. She was standing next   
to Motoko, who gasped in surprise. Keitaro had just wet himself because of   
the surprise from Motoko's outburst, but, since this isn't that kind of   
series, it happened out of the viewers' sight. Naru was wearing her usual   
yellow pullover and dark skirt with matching tights.  
  
"It's not all his fault..." Naru continued. "...I'm to blame as   
well. I shouldn't have drank so much at that party. I was irresponsible   
as well."  
  
"But, Naru..." Mitsune, said, a bit surprised by her friend's   
reaction. Naru just lifted her hand up in response.  
  
"As for Keitaro..." She gave him a dark glance.  
  
"M...me?"  
  
"...never mind. I'll think about your punishment later," she   
intoned evenly as she added a wide grin to her dark stare. You know, the   
really mean kind of grin.  
  
She then turned and walked down the hall, out of Keitaro's view.  
  
"Naru-sempai, are you alright? Wait for me!" Motoko put her sword   
back in her scabbard and chased after Naru. Mitsune did the same, after   
taking a quick look at Keitaro's shocked face.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
One month had passed since this 'incident'. Mitsune kept the   
secret well, in exchange of some of Keitaro's savings, of course.   
Actually, it was pretty useless to keep such a secret, since Mitsune, Naru   
and Motoko knew already. If you add the fact that Shinobu isn't stupid and   
kind of guessed, the only ones left who didn't know were Kaolla and Haruka.   
In a month, though, they both heard the news from one source or another.   
Actually, Haruka had to question Naru about her strange behaviour with   
Keitaro for the past month, whereas Kaolla just discovered the fact while   
surfing the web.  
  
Wait a minute...surfing the web? How did this get out of Hinata-   
sou?  
  
"Because I needed money! Naru-Idol's fan club offered me good   
money for the info!" Mitsune appeared on the screen...err, her words,   
rather.  
  
"Kitsune-chan!!!! I thought you wouldn't tell!!!" Keitaro   
appeared next to her, screaming at her.  
  
"They had more money to offer than you had in your bank account,"   
she explained calmly, crossing her arms over her stomach.  
  
"Damn..." Keitaro lowered his eyes, in pure despair. The situation   
was REALLY getting out of hand.  
  
Well, anyway, Keitaro and Naru had a self-test scheduled at a   
nearby test centre, in preparation for the real Tokyo U exams in May.  
  
That was when everything was going to change.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Narusegawa Naru was prepared for this test. She had been eagerly   
waiting for it since her first failure of Tokyo U's entrance exam. She   
wanted to see if she could do better than last time. Her now-braided hair   
and thick glasses just reinforced, for her, the feeling that she was   
prepared for it. Every detail counts, right?  
  
Urashima Keitaro was prepared for this test. He had been eagerly   
waiting for it since his third failure of Tokyo U's entrance exam. Naru   
teased him by making a bet with him. Could he do better than her?   
Actually, it was pretty much impossible, considering his unluckiness with   
exams...still, the last self-test went pretty well. Maybe he would be just   
as lucky this time.  
  
"Ready? Start!"  
  
The examiner announced the beginning of the test, and everyone in   
  
the room flipped the test textbook open.  
  
'I won't lose! Not only is this test important, but I have to show   
Narusegawa that all those days and nights of studying weren't in vain!'   
Keitaro said to himself while frantically reading and answering the   
questions on the test one by one.  
  
He briefly looked at where she was sitting, only to see her reading   
her paper. She was actually shivering and looked uncomfortable.  
  
'What's happening to her?' he thought to himself. 'Wasn't she   
prepared? Is she cracking up because of the stress? Oh, no! I might be   
one of the reasons she's cracking up! Oh, man, she's gonna kill me if she   
fails!' By the time he was finished thinking, he had his head in his   
hands. He looked up and saw her seat...  
  
...empty.  
  
Looking up further, he caught a glimpse of her as she ran out of   
the testing room.  
  
'WHAT THE HELL!?'  
  
He suddenly put his pencil on his desk.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
The women's washroom. A light-brown-haired woman was bending over   
a sink, looking into the mirror.  
  
"My face is a mess..." she thought aloud. Her face looked sad   
through her glasses.  
  
She emitted a slight moan of pain next, and then the unpleasant   
sound of vomiting.  
  
"Now it is confirmed...Keitaro, you're dead. Awfully dead," she   
said, frowning, as she took her glasses off, turned on the faucet and   
splashed cold water on her face.  
  
Narusegawa Naru shook her head in front of the mirror, dried her   
face with a tissue and left the test centre, unable to finish her test...   
and unable to look Keitaro in the eye after what she fully realized...  
  
  
---  
  
  
End of Chapter One ^_^  
  
NEXT CHAPTER: "Havoc at Hinatasou! SPEECHLESS!"  
  
  
Author's notes:  
  
So, here's the first part of my newest fic :) I hope you all liked it,   
because I'm putting a lot of heart into it ^_^  
  
People who have read my previous Evangelion fanfics will scream at me, I   
know. But actually, the idea seemed so full of possibilities, even more   
than with Asuka...so I did it :)  
  
I would like to thank my beloved pre-readers. They include Alain Gravel,   
Disaster, Dave Watson, DJ Lesser and Eyes. You've all been great help   
again :)  
  
I will try to write faster for the second part, but it's not as easy as you   
might think. :) I have lots of other work to do, mostly for school, but   
also for my other projects.  
  
On a final note, I'd like to announce the creation (if you don't know it   
already) of the first (to my knowledge) Love Hina Mailing List. "Gold"   
drafts of this fic are posted in this a few days before going to the   
outside world :). You can also discuss various Love Hina subjects   
(merchandise, questions about the series or the manga, announcements about   
your fan works, etc.)  
  
In order to subscribe, just send a mail to  
lovehina-request@ml.free.fr  
with "subscribe" in the subject field :)  
  
See ya soon!  
  
Axel Terizaki  



	2. Havoc at Hinata-sou! SPEECHLESS!

KEITARO'S JOURNEY TO HELL  
A Love Hina fanfic  
Written by Axel Terizaki (aterizak@free.fr), 2001 March 12th-May 21st.  
Retooled by Dave Watson (aj153@freenet.carleton.ca), 2001 6 05-16.  
  
NARU's Diary: http://www.narudiary.free.fr  
ASUKA's Notebook: http://aterizak.free.fr/an/site  
  
  
-= Chapter Two: Havoc at Hinata-sou! SPEECHLESS! =-  
  
  
The entrance doors of Hinata-sou banged open loudly as a light   
brown blur whizzed through them at high speed. Mitsune's hair tousled   
from the wind the blur caused, and she landed on the floor after losing   
her balance from the shock wave.  
  
"W...Wasn't that Naru!?"  
  
She followed the dark trace of the blur on the ground, up to the   
stairs.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
Walking up the stairs, she headed for Naru's room.  
  
"Naru! Naru!" she called out as she knocked on her door. She   
could have opened it directly, since that seemed to be part of her   
nature, but the Japanese generally aren't the kind of people who dig   
into others' privacy that directly, and Mitsune was no exception.  
  
"Go away, Kitsune! I don't want to talk to anyone!"  
  
"Huh? What happened? How did the exam go? Why are you back   
here so soon?" She wanted to ask her even more questions than that,   
but, judging by her best friend's behaviour, she thought it wise to   
limit them to just those.  
  
"Please? Pretty please?"  
  
Still no sound whatsoever. Mitsune just stared at the door in   
front of her and thought about Naru's plea to leave her alone.  
  
"Okay, okay...will you at least tell me what's going on?"  
  
Mitsune grew impatient at this point.  
  
"Naru?"  
  
"M...Maybe later."  
  
"Oh, well..."  
  
Mitsune sighed.  
  
"Come on, Naru..."  
  
"..."  
  
"Was the exam that hard?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Okay, we can talk about this later. Just don't be too hard on   
yourself, okay?"  
  
Naru remained quiet. She didn't really know what to say. She   
just hoped that Mitsune would leave her be for a while so she could   
think in peace.  
  
"I'll see you later, then. Take care," Mitsune eventually said   
before going downstairs. Even she had to admit that this was pretty   
bad. She decided to see Aunt Haruka and tell her about this. This was   
too unreal...as if some of the things that happened before at Hinata-sou   
weren't unreal enough already.  
  
'Kitsune, you don't know anything...' Naru just thought, almost   
out loud, as she sat against the side of her bed, her face sunken into   
her knees.  
  
She had to think about all this...  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
There was a knock at the door.  
  
"Naru..." called Haruka, an edge of concern discernible in her   
voice. After all, she was the only real adult around, which was why   
Mitsune asked her to talk to her best friend.  
  
"Go away."  
  
"Naru, what happened?" The oldest lady (even if no one dared   
refer to her like that) of Hinata-sou was trying to inquire about the   
fact that Naru just came back home only 30 minutes after the beginning   
of her and Keitaro's mock exam. This was pretty strange, considering   
that the exam was supposed to last for three hours. Either she had been   
way too exasperated by the questions and left, knowing she wouldn't get   
a good mark anyway, or she had a problem. Haruka knew that this wasn't   
her first mock exam, which meant that the first possibility was clearly   
unlikely.  
  
The door to Narusegawa's room finally opened, revealing the   
young woman, still in her 'study' sweater and track suit. Her face was   
a mess; probably from tears, Haruka guessed, since her eyes were   
slightly red.  
  
"Naru?" Haruka asked, after closing the door behind her. An   
uncomfortable silence followed.  
  
"...I'm lost," Naru finally muttered.  
  
"'Lost'? Why did you come back before the exam was finished?"  
  
"I didn't feel well at all."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Haruka then took a look around the room, and noticed various   
books laying around the floor in a manner that made it obvious that Naru   
had been reading them very recently. Her eyes widened as she noticed a   
small box on the floor, with an open pamphlet with different colour   
codes next to it. She made a small grimace as she realized what this   
was all about. She then took her cigarette out of her mouth, which she   
rarely did.  
  
"You're not...?"  
  
"..." Naru didn't speak, since she was too scared to say the   
words herself.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Keitaro was slowly walking up the stairs of Hinata-sou, a hint   
of worry on his face. Naru leaving her seat so early during an exam was   
something he never thought would ever happen. He was a bit confused   
because of that.  
  
'Why did Narusegawa run out of the test centre so suddenly? It   
must be my fault...' he thought. He was so used to Naru accusing him of   
every bad thing that could happen to her that it was the only answer he   
could think of. The incident one month ago was perhaps the apotheosis   
of the growing list of trouble Naru had been in since Keitaro arrived.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Haruka left Naru's room a little later and paused near the door,   
her back against the wall, looking towards the ceiling.  
  
"Kids these days..."  
  
She then headed to the living room downstairs, where the others   
were waiting.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Mitsune's foot tapped on the floor. She was worried about Naru,   
due to the fact that she was refusing to talk to anyone, let alone   
herself, her best friend. She and Naru had been together since junior   
high, and were two of the first tenants of Hinata-sou.  
  
"What can they be talking about? I never heard of Naru leaving   
a test centre until the very end of the exam," Mitsune said, two fingers   
under her chin, still trying to figure out what could have happened.  
  
"I don't know, Mitsune-san. I have to admit that I am worried   
as well," Motoko declared, having a very bad feeling about all this.  
  
"Maybe she just got overwhelmed by the questions? Maybe it was   
too hard for her?" Shinobu tried to find a more optimistic explanation   
for this. Everyone was taking Naru's behaviour quite seriously, since   
all this was rather unusual for her. Suu just played with a handheld   
game, crying joyfully as she scored more and more points. Even though   
she was just as worried as everybody else--after all, she was waiting   
there with them--she was as irrepressible as ever.  
  
As Haruka's footsteps resounded upstairs, they all got up from   
their seats. The woman slowly walked down the stairs, her hand on the   
bannister. She took a drag from her cigarette while she and the group   
faced each other, and then finally spoke.  
  
"So? Aren't you going to ask me about anything?"  
  
"We were waiting for you to speak first, Haruka-san," Motoko   
replied.  
  
"I hope it's not too serious! What if she's ill or something   
worse?" Shinobu began to panic a bit. After seeing Haruka's solemn   
expression, her morale suddenly dropped for some unknown reason. The   
overall atmosphere around Naru recently was enough to drive some people   
crazy and make them imagine possible scenarios about what was going on.   
Some pretty unbelievable scenarios, sometimes, but seldom the right   
ones. And the girls at Hinata-sou were quite good at drawing early   
conclusions.  
  
"I think all of you should sit down before I begin. This is   
going to be...quite interesting, if I may say."  
  
Everyone silently obeyed the woman and sat back down in their   
seats before turning to face her again as one.  
  
"Okay. Now, you all remember what happened two months ago?"   
Haruka began, as she took a seat at the end of the table herself.  
  
"That new anime Naru has been watching?" proposed Mitsune.  
  
"No." She shook her head.  
  
"The fact that Japan won against the US in that worldwide   
baseball championship?" suggested Shinobu. Even if this was something   
she wasn't interested in at all, the media had been discussing it a lot   
lately. No one could possibly avoid that fact, as Japan felt very proud   
of its baseball team.  
  
"No, not that, either."  
  
"Naru-sempai and Urashima's accidental sexual intercourse?"   
inquired Motoko, with her characteristic mix of deeply formal speech and   
unflinching honesty.  
  
"Yep," Haruka simply replied.  
  
"What about it!?" Mitsune excitedly asked. When there was a   
problem with those two, it HAD to be very interesting. And Mitsune   
loved it when things got interesting around Hinata-sou.  
  
"Naru-sempai must have been traumatized by that. How can this   
be possible?" Shinobu asked, too, worriedly; she knew that Naru normally   
didn't let things get the better of her, but this was definitely not   
normal.  
  
"That bastard...!" Motoko drew her sword slightly from its   
sheath.  
  
"Actually, it's not quite that." Haruka interrupted the girls,   
not quite sure if she should tell them now that she saw how everyone was   
already reacting...  
  
"What is it, then?"  
  
Haruka looked up a little and drew on her cigarette again. The   
suspense nagged at the girls even harder until she spoke again.  
  
"She's pregnant."  
  
Sudden silence.  
  
"EEEEEEEHHHH!!?" all the girls, including the seemingly video-  
game-occupied Suu, cried in unison, obviously quite shocked by the news.  
  
A voice could be heard from outside the living room.  
  
"Tadaima [I'm home]! Is anyone here?" Keitaro said, while   
opening the door to the room. The girls turned and looked at him with   
various expressions on their faces. Mitsune had her eyes open, which   
was quite rare. Shinobu had her hands over her mouth in shock, while   
Suu just kicked her handheld game system.  
  
"Damn, I was about to finish that game!" She looked at Keitaro   
with a frown on her face, as if he was responsible for her losing her   
game. Everyone else just ignored her, too focussed on Keitaro.  
  
"Bad timing, Keitaro..." Haruka softly said.  
  
"What are you talking about, Haruka-san?" Keitaro said,   
scratching the back of his head.   
  
"You..." Mitsune began.  
  
"...BASTARD!!" Motoko finished, drawing her sword and instantly   
cutting the table in half. Keitaro's instinct told him to run, and run   
fast. His body carried out that order double-time, his brain   
emphasizing saving himself over trying to figure out what was happening.  
  
"Aaaah, I'm sorry!!! I didn't do anything!!"  
  
Motoko, Mitsune and Suu chased him around Hinata-sou. Various   
explosions could be heard as Motoko unleashed all the power she had   
mastered after all those years of training on their poor kanrinin.  
  
Shinobu was the only one still in the living room with Haruka.  
  
"Haruka-san, is that true? Is Naru-sempai..."  
  
"I had a talk with her and we agreed that I'd tell everyone   
about it. She isn't feeling well at all and wants to be left alone for   
now."  
  
"How can this be possible..." Shinobu began to panic a bit at   
the thought of what Haruka just announced. Such a thing happening at   
Hinata-sou...it was just too serious to be true.  
  
"I guess accidents can happen. Now both of them will have to   
deal with the consequences and Keitaro will have to take   
responsibility."  
  
"Responsibility? Oh, god...but what is she going to do now?"  
  
Haruka didn't reply, since she was still organizing her own   
thoughts about the whole matter. Only Keitaro and Naru can really do   
anything about all this, but will he make the right decisions and act   
like a man? And what will Naru do? You'll soon know in the next   
chapter...  
  
  
  
  
Just kidding :)  
  
  
* * *  
  
L O V E H I N A - Keitaro's Journey To Hell  
Powered by EDIT.COM, Winamp and Coca-Cola(TM) :P  
  
* * *  
  
  
Flashback to Naru's room, when Haruka was talking with her. The   
older woman was sitting next to Naru, on her bed.  
  
"What did I do to deserve this, Haruka-san? You've always been   
there with Mitsune and I. Can't you help me?"  
  
"Unfortunately, only you and Keitaro can really resolve this   
problem," Haruka explained. "Neither Mitsune nor I can do that much   
this time."  
  
"But this is all new for me! One unusual night, and suddenly I   
have tons of problems on my shoulders! And what am I supposed to do   
now!? I won't be able to participate to Tokyo U's entrance exam in   
seven months! I can't go back home. I have nowhere to go...I don't   
want this...this child." Naru seemed reluctant to say those last words,   
unable to believe that she would ever have to. She then slowly put her   
head against her knees again, just wanting to be left alone.  
  
"The weight of reality is hard to carry, isn't it?"  
  
"You should say that to Keitaro! Always living in the dream of   
that promise! Always thinking about it! Did he ever think about me   
when he did what he did!? Of course not! He's always thinking of that   
girl from his childhood! Maybe she doesn't even exist!" She pictured   
herself screaming those thoughts right into the ear of a scared-to-death   
Keitaro...  
  
"Aren't you responsible, too?"  
  
Naru just looked at her feet, unable to reply for a few seconds.  
  
"Y...yes, you're right. I'm responsible for this, too..." she   
muttered, her tone completely different from her earlier anger and   
desperation.  
  
"This is his *and* your fault, so both of you are going to deal   
with the consequences."  
  
"But...why me? I never did anything bad to deserve this...he,   
on the other hand...he's just a low-life, a lecher, a pervert..."  
  
Naru paused for a few seconds, sobbing a bit.  
  
"...and a rapist."  
  
Haruka just shook her head.  
  
"You feel raped? Well, it's understandable, but what are you   
going to do? Sue him? All the other girls told me that you were the   
one who dragged *him* into the bedroom by the arm."  
  
"No, I can't do that, obviously. I'd never have the guts to do   
such a thing to him. Besides, if I did that, then, obviously, I wasn't   
unwilling...ack! I don't even *remember* what exactly happened. Just   
bits and pieces here and there. That idiot...he might be a jerk, but I   
know..."  
  
She paused on the edge of that sentence, and Haruka finished it   
for her.  
  
"You know that he really is kind-hearted, when all is said and   
done."  
  
"...yes, maybe," Naru quickly concluded. She had agreed to   
discuss the matter with Haruka because she was the only real adult she   
could ask for advice on these matters, but it looked like the discussion   
wasn't taking the direction she wanted it to.  
  
"Anyway...what are you going to do? Are you going home? You   
said you couldn't...why don't you at least try? It can't be that bad   
there."  
  
"No way! My parents would kill me and prevent me from going to   
Hinata-sou again!" She panicked and shuddered at that thought.  
  
"I love it here too much. I have friends here, Kitsune,   
Motoko-chan, Shinobu-chan, Suu-chan...I love them all...I mean, I don't   
want to be forbidden to come here...I don't know what I'd do if I could   
never see them again...!"  
  
"So you're going to stay here," Haruka continued for her.  
  
"I really want to, but I can't. I can't face him anymore. Not   
before I sort things out."  
  
Haruka had a bad feeling about what she meant by that.  
  
"You're not thinking of getting an abortion, are you?"  
  
Naru just shook her head. "No, no, of course not...I don't run   
away from reality, like someone else I know..."  
  
"But still, you run away from your parents." This last remark   
made Naru recoil, as if a heavy rock had just hit the back of her head.  
  
"Jeez...! I mean, I can't stay here, face everyone else and   
just ignore him. I have to ignore him. I mean, I wouldn't know how to   
react if I saw him. I think I don't want to see him, not because I hate   
him, but...no, never mind. Forget about what I said."  
  
"The fact that you like him isn't a secret here anymore, you   
know."  
  
"I said, never mind!" Naru snapped at Haruka.  
  
"Okay, okay..."  
  
There was a short pause, during which Naru looked straight   
ahead, trying to figure out what to say next.  
  
"Maybe I should try to find an apartment somewhere else, then."   
She was desperately trying to find a solution to her problem, and hoped   
that Haruka could help.  
  
"And how would you pay for it? Apartment rent in this city is   
far more expensive than the rooms here are. You could never afford   
one."  
  
Despite how cold that sounded, Haruka wasn't trying to   
discourage Naru. She was just trying not to let her get her hopes up   
too high, only to have them dashed at the worst possible time. Naru   
just sighed.  
  
"My only option is to stay here, isn't it?"  
  
"I wouldn't know. Maybe you should talk about it with Keitaro.   
You don't even know what he thinks about all this."  
  
"I can't bother him with that. The Tokyo U entrance exam is in   
a few months. He must take the exam and not worry. I'm condemned to   
this now, so he'd better get in if I can't. He has better goals and a   
dream to achieve. And he worked hard, too."  
  
"Didn't you just say that his goals were stupid, or something   
like that?" Haruka remarked again.  
  
"..."  
  
"You *are* lost, aren't you?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Aren't you?" Haruka insisted, in the exact same solemn tone.  
  
"I guess I am..."  
  
"What do you want to do about telling the others? They're   
worried, and God only knows what they think is happening."  
  
Naru thought for a while about that, and remained silent. She   
was rarely that quiet, which made Haruka worry even more.  
  
"..."  
  
"Do you want me to tell them that you're pregnant, so that you   
don't have to?"  
  
"You would do that, Haruka-san? I would be so grateful." Naru   
was visibly relieved. She was still worried about how they would take   
the news, but at least the pressure to deliver it herself was lifted   
from her shoulders.  
  
"And I think I have an idea of what you could do next..."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Back to the present.  
  
"Aaaah! Let me go, please! I haven't done anything!" Keitaro   
screamed. The poor Hinata-sou kanrinin was tied by his ankles, hanging   
over an enormous, hot cooking pot.  
  
On floor level, Suu was shovelling chopped vegetables and   
throwing large handfuls of spice and herbs (some of which appeared   
similar to what anime scriptwriters sometimes smoke) into the pot and   
stirring its contents with a big cooking ladle.  
  
"You are going to pay for your sins, Urashima! This time, I   
won't forgive you!" Motoko snarled. From where he was hanging, Keitaro   
could see her in the middle of what seemed to be an intense round of   
training or preparation. The fact that she was surrounded by road-works   
signs which read 'DO NOT CROSS--SAFETY PERIMETER--MOTOKO'S EXPERIMENTAL   
SUPER HIKEN ZANKUUSEN CHARGING UP' and were topped with flashing amber   
lights just reinforced the bad feeling he was having about the whole   
thing. Whatever the girls were up to this time, it had to be serious.  
  
Mitsune walked towards the pot, and stopped to look up at   
Keitaro.  
  
'And to think that what I told him was true. I never thought   
that Naru would have been that careless...' she thought.  
  
"Kitsune-saaaan, untie me! Please!" Keitaro pleaded tearfully.  
  
Mitsune grinned.  
  
"No way. We're not going to let you down after what you've   
done!"  
  
"But what have I doooone!?"  
  
"Don't play dumb with us, Keitaro!" she replied, pointing at him   
accusingly.  
  
"B-but...!!!"  
  
The discussion was interrupted when Shinobu opened the door to   
make her usual announcement at this hour...  
  
"Everyone, dinner is ready!"  
  
"We're comiiiiing!" squealed Suu, as she dropped the handle of  
the ladle, leaving it to clank against the rim of the pot. She jumped  
up and down towards the dining room, happy that there was food waiting  
for her. Mitsune took a last look at Keitaro before walking out as  
well, soon followed by Motoko, who gave Keitaro a venomous glare before  
sliding the door shut. The poor boy was left hanging by his unanswered  
questions...and his ankles.  
  
'Why won't they tell me!? Why are they leaving me like this?'  
  
After a few moments of thinking, he heard the door opening  
again, revealing Shinobu, apparently alone.  
  
"Shinobu-chan!?"  
  
"Please wait, Urashima-sempai. I'll get you down from there.   
Just keep quiet so everybody else won't come back right away." She took  
the stepladder that Motoko left nearby when she tied Keitaro up there,  
and placed it near him. She then slowly and a bit hesitantly climbed...  
  
"Don't move..." she whispered.  
  
Taking care, she began to slowly undo the knots in the rope  
around his legs.  
  
"Thank you, Shinobu-chan. I'm eternally in your debt!" Keitaro  
managed to say through the two heavy streams of tears of relief that  
cascaded from his eyes. Then his eyes suddenly went very wide before  
they disappeared from view.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Poor Keitaro fell into the pot  
below when Shinobu had almost completely untied him. She quickly  
climbed down the stepladder and helped him out of the boiling mixture.  
  
"Oh, no! Urashima-sempai, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!"  
  
Keitaro slumped down on the floor, his clothes wet and his skin  
notably redder than usual, due to the high temperature of the water  
inside the pot.  
  
"That's okay, Shinobu-chan..." He tried to laugh a little to  
ease her worries. He was probably more afraid of her being worried or  
sad than he was of Naru or Motoko being mad at him.  
  
"You really don't know what you did, Urashima-sempai?" Shinobu  
asked, a bit curious and scared at the same time. She was already a bit  
shocked by the news, and didn't believe it at first, but as time passed,  
she gradually began to believe...  
  
"Wh-where is Narusegawa? She left the test room so early. It  
wasn't like her at all. Is she here?" Keitaro asked, obvious concern in  
his voice.  
  
"Y-yes, she's here, I think..."  
  
"I need to see her!" he declared as he got up from the floor,  
walked very confidently towards the door and slid it open without a  
word. Shinobu blushed as she thought of how manly he looked when he was  
like that. She knew she didn't stand a chance against Naru for his  
attention, but she didn't care at all. She started to question herself  
about her crush on Keitaro. Was it love? Was it admiration? The line  
between these two concepts was just a blur to her. Having never fallen  
in love before, she didn't know how to react...  
  
Shaking her head, she began to remember what was going on and  
stood up.  
  
"Sempai, wait for me!"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Narusegawa, I'm coming in!"  
  
Keitaro slid the door to Naru's room wide open. Usually, he  
would be greeted by the sight of his study partner changing clothes and  
then forcefully kicked out (literally). At best, he would be able to  
get out with only a few bruises.  
  
But no one was there this time. Actually, there was nothing in  
there at all. The room was just plain empty. So empty that his voice  
echoed a bit.  
  
"What the...?"  
  
Shinobu panted as she chased after him and then stopped in front   
of Naru's room. Keitaro had taken a few steps inside, a blank look on   
his face, as if he didn't believe what he was seeing, like it was a  
mirage in a desert.  
  
"Ah...sempai..."  
  
Keitaro looked around, expecting something, anything...  
  
"W...where is she?"  
  
He turned around and saw Shinobu standing in the doorway. She  
was looking very surprised, and a bit sad, too. The fact that she knew  
more about Naru's condition than Keitaro made her worry even more about  
where she was. She had only a vague idea of where Naru could possibly  
be.  
  
"...she left..." Shinobu heard herself whisper as she understood,   
or so she thought.  
  
Keitaro frantically rushed up to her, dropping to his knees to  
meet her eyes, and grabbed her shoulders. His eyes were open wider than  
Shinobu had ever seen them before.  
  
"Shinobu-chan? Did you say something? Do you know where  
Narusegawa is?"  
  
"Urashima...sempai..."  
  
"Do you know?"  
  
"I...I don't...honest."  
  
"Damn..." Keitaro looked down. Shinobu did the same, the  
sadness etching deeper on her face.  
  
"And no one wants to tell me what's happening..."  
  
Shinobu didn't know what to do. Should she tell him? She was  
scared, too, almost as if she was the centre of the problem herself.   
Still, maybe it was because she felt close to Keitaro, and to Naru to  
some extent, that she was scared. Scared that she might not see Keitaro  
again. She felt stupid, having a crush on a guy who loved another  
woman. Part of her wanted to take advantage of the situation and steal  
Keitaro from Naru, in some way, but another part of her wanted them to be   
happy, plain and simple.   
  
"Urashima-sempai..." Shinobu was still looking down.  
  
"Huh?" Keitaro looked up a bit, surprised.  
  
Shinobu shook her shoulders, which made Keitaro's hands fall to  
his sides. She turned back and began to walk towards the room's door.  
  
"Shinobu-chan?"  
  
"Urashima-sempai...promise me you'll be a good father," she said  
softly before running off to her room, leaving Keitaro standing there in  
Naru's empty room.  
  
Our hero just looked blankly in front of him, the transparency  
of his glasses gone, as if he was computing what Shinobu just said.   
Computing, computing, computing...task complete, transmitting results to  
mouth...  
  
"...What?" was all his brain could manage to make him say.  
  
His eyes then caught a book still laying on the floor in a  
corner of the room.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Did you forget something?"  
  
Naru was unpacking some boxes in a room which was different from  
the type in Hinata-sou. Haruka was helping her a bit by carrying the  
boxes out of the room after she unpacked them.  
  
"...I can't find it. I probably forgot it in my room..."  
  
"Want me to go get it?"  
  
"No, never mind. I'll get it myself," she said as she stood up  
and headed outside.  
  
She was a little nervous. She didn't really want to bump into  
one of the tenants. They would want to ask her a lot of questions, and  
she didn't want to answer them now. She just didn't feel ready yet,  
which was one of the reasons why she asked Haruka to tell her friends  
what was happening. She was grateful to the woman for freeing her of  
that pressure...and for providing her with another roof to sleep under  
while waiting for things to settle down a bit.  
  
She looked at her watch, and smiled. Now was the time when most  
of the people living in Hinata-sou would be eating dinner. She could  
get to her room without encountering anyone. Or so she hoped.  
  
She quietly opened the front door and went upstairs, to where  
her room was. But as she opened her door, she bumped into  
something...or, rather, someone. Rubbing her forehead in pain, she  
opened her eyes, only to see Keitaro in a similar situation.  
  
"Ouch...Narusegawa!?"  
  
She was a bit shocked. Out of all the people she wanted to see  
now, Keitaro was one of the last, just after her parents. Most  
importantly, he was holding what she was searching for.  
  
Her diary.  
  
Why it was connected with Keitaro for a second time was one of  
those mysteries she couldn't explain, like why they both were late on  
the first day of an important exam, or how, every time they wanted to  
have a serious talk, someone interrupted them. She quickly regained her  
composure and stood up.  
  
"Give me that, now."  
  
"Narusegawa? Are you okay!?" He stood up as well, and held out  
her diary, which she violently grabbed from his hands.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Goodbye," she said before turning back and running away.  
  
"Wait!" He ran after her and grabbed her arm, stopping her in  
her tracks. She tried to break out of his grasp, but to no avail.  
  
"Let go of me!" she pleaded, tired of all this. She felt like  
was going to break down if she was forced to be with him for another  
minute. Still, she hoped deep within her heart that he was going to  
apologize, crawl at her feet and show her how sorry he was about what  
happened two months ago...  
  
"I didn't read it this time, honest!"  
  
This shocked Naru more than if she had actually caught him  
looking at it. All he wanted to tell her was that he didn't read her  
diary again!? He didn't even say sorry for the trouble he was causing  
her now? That...  
  
"...BAKA!!" she screamed, and, with a swift movement, reared  
back and sent him flying through the window on their left with one of  
those punch techniques only she and lots of other anime girls knew  
about. She then turned around again, headed downstairs, and to her  
destination:  
  
Haruka's house, near the Hinata teahouse.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
A few days passed...maybe a few weeks. Mitsune didn't really  
know. Being unemployed and not really having anything to do all day, one   
tends to lose track of time a bit. As she looked at the calendar in the  
entrance hall of Hinata-sou, she sighed. It had just been one week since   
Naru had "disappeared" from the all-girls' dormitory. Still, as panic   
began to get to the girls, Haruka did a great job reassuring them that   
Naru was fine, that the older woman knew were she was now, and that Naru   
insisted on being left alone for now. There was nothing anyone could do.   
Not even Keitaro, who insisted on seeing her because she was a tenant of   
his dorm, as he said. However, Haruka made it perfectly clear to him   
that going after her at this time would be purely suicidal for him.  
  
Still, to Mitsune, it seemed more like weeks passed instead of  
days. Naru was her best friend, and, even if she didn't show it much  
around the others, she cared about her a lot. They were among the first  
to move into Hinata-sou, and Grandma Hina had always treated them like  
her own daughters. Actually, she had done this with all her tenants,  
but Mitsune felt like she and Naru were her favourites.  
  
She was worried about Naru, and the fact that she didn't have a  
job now wasn't helping things at all. As she walked out the front door   
to go out for some fresh air, she saw Haruka climbing up the stairs.  
  
"Hey, Haruka-san!" she called as she waved at her. The woman  
was still in her work outfit, and walked up to talk to her when she  
reached the top of the stairs.  
  
"Mitsune? Shouldn't you be searching for a new job?"  
  
Mitsune looked kind of embarrassed and scratched the back of her  
head.  
  
"Come on, there are more important things to worry about. What  
brings you to Hinata-sou this time, Haruka-san?"  
  
"I have to talk to Keitaro. Is he here?"  
  
Mitsune shook her head.  
  
"No, I haven't seen him today yet. I guess he went somewhere  
early this morning."  
  
"I see...then I'll come back later. Excuse me." The woman   
turned around and started walking back down the steps.  
  
"Haruka-san, wait!"  
  
Haruka stopped and looked back at Mitsune.  
  
"You know where Naru is, right? Please, take me to her."  
  
"She told me specifically that she doesn't want to see anyone in  
the world except me at this point, and until you prove me wrong, you are  
part of this world. You know what I mean?"  
  
"Look, I'm her best friend. I have a right to see her, don't I?"  
  
Haruka sighed, and then spoke to her.  
  
"What do you think of all this?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"This whole mess. Don't play dumb with me."  
  
"Oh..." Mitsune cupped her chin with her fingers and looked up at   
the bright blue sky, thinking a bit...  
  
"I guess this is unfortunate for both of them. I mean, if Naru   
and Keitaro didn't like each other, do you think that they would have done   
that, even drunk?"  
  
Haruka took a drag from her cigarette.  
  
"What's your point?"  
  
"They would have done that sooner or later. They just should have   
used protection. Both of them."  
  
"So you're blaming Naru, too?"  
  
Mitsune paused briefly. "Yeah, kinda. I guess it's not ALL  
Keitaro's fault. Even if she's my best friend, I know when she's wrong  
and when I have to support her."  
  
"I see. Well, come with me."  
  
Mitsune's eyes opened as she smiled to herself.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
As Haruka opened the door to one of the guest rooms in her  
house, Mitsune could see her friend sitting on the floor, Indian-style,  
playing an old video game system.  
  
"Naru, visitor for ya," Haruka announced. Naru immediately   
turned her head around and gasped when she saw her friend standing  
there.  
  
Mitsune raised her hand a bit, as if to calm her. "Don't worry,  
I won't tell the others anything. I just wanted to visit you, Naru. I  
was getting worried."  
  
"...Come in."  
  
Mitsune carefully stepped into the room.  
  
"I need to get back to work, so I'll leave you two alone."  
  
Haruka then disappeared before sliding the door shut.  
  
Mitsune looked at Naru playing her video game, and couldn't help  
but notice how odd it looked, strictly because of what she knew about  
Naru's condition.  
  
"How are you feeling, Naru?"  
  
"I went to the doctor yesterday, and he gave me a proper test.   
I'm now officially pregnant. That's pretty much all I'm feeling."  
  
"How come you're not studying? Are all your books still in  
those boxes?"  
  
Naru sighed.  
  
"Mitsune, you KNOW I won't be able to take the entrance exam  
now."  
  
"Won't you be able to at least participate? I've never read   
anywhere that a pregnant woman couldn't take one."  
  
"It's already my second month. The exam is in February and it's  
July now. What do you think that means?"  
  
Mitsune thought about this a little. "That there are only seven   
months or so left before the exam and you're due to give birth sometime   
during the month the exam takes place."  
  
"Pin pon."  
  
"I see. So you'll take the exam next year, won't you?"  
  
Naru seemed to think about this for a minute.  
  
"I don't know yet. Maybe, maybe not..."  
  
"And...what about Keitaro? Did you at least tell him about  
this?"  
  
"..."  
  
"You didn't."  
  
"So what? He's an idiot, he wouldn't understand."  
  
"He might be an idiot, but he's still our kanrinin. He's always  
been very understanding and he..."  
  
Naru suddenly turned her head back towards her friend, eyes wide  
open, nostrils flaring.  
  
"Mitsune! I don't want to talk to him. I don't want to see  
him. I don't even want to talk about him! Why do you think I left the  
dorm!?" she replied, angrily.  
  
Mitsune just smiled in response.  
  
"You'll never change, Naru..."  
  
"Hmph..."  
  
"You look like a kid afraid of facing what she has to do."  
  
"Ha! Would you rather be the one who's pregnant!?"  
  
The fox lady grinned.  
  
"Hmmm. I might ask Keitaro if he's free tonight. After all, if  
you did it with him, he HAS to be good in bed, somehow..."  
  
Naru kicked her game system and smacked the power button off  
hard.  
  
"Don't joke about that! I don't even REMEMBER how he was!" She  
blushed, not entirely out of anger.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, you probably just don't want to admit that he was  
good. No one can forget that much after just a couple of bottles of  
sake."  
  
"Kitsune, you're my best friend, but if you keep talking to me  
like that, you're going to leave this room sooner than you might want  
to."  
  
Mitsune just laughed.  
  
"Come on, Naru, what's the point of not admitting the truth?"  
  
Naru ignored her and switched her game back on, once she calmed  
down a little.  
  
"Okay, let's skip the subject. I just wanted to see how you  
were doing and remind you that I'm here for you."  
  
"...Hmm. Thanks," Naru managed to say, with not much gratitude.  
  
"And, hmm, well, everyone at Hinata-sou's been freaking out  
about you. Even Keitaro."  
  
"You're not going to bring him up again after I told you not to,  
are you?"  
  
Mitsune thought about this for a few seconds.  
  
"Actually...I don't know. It's just that, since he's the only  
guy among us, he's kinda special and we can't help talking about him.   
Since he came to Hinata-sou, everyone's changed. Shinobu pulled herself  
together, Motoko became more feminine and learned how to tolerate men,  
Suu has someone to kick now and looks happier than ever...and I have to  
admit that he broke the monotony of my life there, too."  
  
"..."  
  
"What about you?"  
  
Naru seemed to think about that for a while.  
  
"Yeah, he changed my life, too. He got me into the deepest  
trouble I've ever been in," she said, bitterly.  
  
"Didn't he help you study for Todai, too? Even though you  
failed once, he gave you some of his determination. I know that you   
would have given up after that first failure if it wasn't for him,"   
Mitsune said, trying to cheer her up.  
  
"So what?" Mitsune didn't succeed.  
  
"Oh, never mind, you'll never figure it out. I'll come back and  
check on you another time, okay? I have to go look for a job now!"  
  
"..."  
  
Mitsune looked around a bit and headed for the door. She opened  
it, took a final look at her friend, and left without another word.  
  
After she left, Naru switched her game system off again and sat  
on her bed. She picked up her old familiar stuffed Liddo-kun doll, and  
hugged it tight.  
  
"What does everybody think that my situation is so wonderful?   
What should I do, Liddo-kun?"  
  
*squeak squeak*  
  
She stayed like that for some time, still holding the doll to  
her, hoping to find the answers somewhere in the comfort it had given  
her since she was a little girl. For now, all she could do was hope  
that it could give back some of the love she'd given it all her life.  
  
  
---  
  
  
Beware of the next chapter: "Here comes a new challenger! TURTLE!"  
  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Sorry for the long delay, but lots of things happened in April, and I  
couldn't really work on the fic.  
  
Retooler's notes:  
  
Sorry to you readers, and to Axel, for taking so long to do my thing  
with it as well. I hope you all found it worth the wait.  
  
Take care,  
Axel Terizaki  



	3. Here comes a new challenger! TURTLE!

KEITARO'S JOURNEY TO HELL  
A Love Hina fanfic  
Written by Axel Terizaki (aterizak@free.fr)  
Retooled by Dave Watson (aj153@freenet.carleton.ca) and Terizaki.  
  
NARU's Diary: http://naru.easynetonline.net/narudiary  
ASUKA's Notebook: Recovery in progress.  
  
-= Chapter Three: Here comes a new challenger! TURTLE! =-  
  
Sorry about this, but RealLife(tm) didn't give me the chance to write like  
I wish I could have. And you know what's worse? It's that I know how my  
story will end, the main events and all that, but I just don't have enough  
time to write it...so, gomen nasai, minna!  
  
The hard life of a fanfic writer:  
  
First draft started on 2001-09-28  
First draft resumed on 2002-01-17  
First draft resumed on 2002-02-20  
First draft written on 2002-02-26  
Second draft started on 2002-03-06  
Second draft resumed on 2002-03-22 (Damn exams)  
Second draft written on 2002-03-26  
Retool draft written between 2002-04-22 and 5-12 (Sorry, Axel.)  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
The soft noises of the night were echoing everywhere around the  
peaceful Hinata-sou. Everything was quiet. Too quiet...too suspicious.  
  
A shadow crept out of a window on the first floor. The quietness   
of its steps was nothing like a feline's or a Ninja's, but it was  
undoubtedly acting carefully, acutely aware of every one of its movements.  
  
After moving its body quietly along the walls, the shadow finally  
reached its destination--the Hinata Teahouse.  
  
However, the teahouse wasn't looking as peaceful as Hinata-sou was.  
Somehow, someone knew that the shadow was coming. Someone knew and made  
sure that the shadow would be dissuaded from approaching.  
  
But what was lying there? A treasure? An ancient artifact? The  
shadow knew, and was determined to reach its goal. As it came near the  
electric fence around the building, it spotted the only entrance available:  
Two heavy steel sliding doors.  
  
The shadow tiptoed to the entrance, and carefully entered a code  
into the panel next to the doors. They silently and slowly opened, the  
shadow elegantly sliding between them as soon as they offered enough space  
for it to go through. However, as soon as it made its first step into the  
guarded territory, another shadow stopped it just by its presence...  
  
"Urashima-sempai, stop right here and now. Your game is up,"  
announced a deep, female voice; that of Aoyama Motoko.  
  
"Damn...!"  
  
"Since I can't allow myself to wake up Naru-sempai, you're forcing  
me to use my secret stealth assassin techniques..."  
  
"Wait, I can expl--" And with a swift movement, Motoko pulled her  
sword out of its scabbard and rushed towards him. Before he knew it, the  
left sleeve of his Ninja attire was partly torn apart. Losing his balance,  
he fell on his butt, almost fainting from the swift and sudden violence  
Motoko expressed towards him in the way only she could.  
  
Seeing him defeated, she lifted up her sword and prepared herself  
to deliver the final blow.  
  
"I don't usually strike people on the ground, but, for you,  
Urashima, I'll make an exception...for ruining Naru-sempai's life. I  
tolerated you until now. I even grew to like you somehow. But now that  
you have revealed your true nature, I won't let myself be fooled again!"  
  
"Miiiiiiiii---!"  
  
Motoko gasped in surprise as she heard that sound. So familiar,   
yet still no less terrifying to her.  
  
It was a turtle--a flying hot springs turtle, to be exact--and it  
was heading straight towards her.  
  
The view of the devilish creature, not at all helped by the  
moonlight silhouetting its form in the darkness of the night, made the  
young sword master immediately faint as well.  
  
Once her deed was done, the turtle returned to a tree nearby and  
rested on top of the head of a young woman standing there, surrounded by  
the warm glow of the moon.  
  
"Ara ara..."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
The kanririn's [dorm manager] room was, as usual, brightly lit.   
Keitaro Urashima was the only one present, surrounded by his textbooks and  
manuals. Studying alone was sometimes helpful, as no one was there to  
disturb him. But there, Keitaro felt an emptiness, which was aggravated   
when he looked at the ceiling and saw the large uncovered hole which led to   
another room. A lot of things happened thanks to that hole, and, even if   
he got a few bruises because of it, he didn't regret anything about it.  
  
Keitaro was attracted to Narusegawa, in many ways. First, he loved  
her beauty. Her eyes, her voice, her hair...they were all important to  
him. Even if she was often mean to him and hit him, he knew that there was  
a soft side to her, which he saw from time to time and wanted to see more  
of everyday.  
  
But since that...incident a few months ago, he hadn't seen any  
trace of her anywhere. He did keep trying his best to reach her, but she  
had shielded herself from everything, willingly living in a prison she made  
by herself. She had shut herself away from everyone, and now, all he could  
really think about was her. Even when he tried to study, he was expecting  
her to ask him what he was having trouble with and help him out, and kept  
raising his head from his books to look across the table...and see that she  
wasn't there.  
  
"Even Aunt Haruka won't let me see her. She must have a reason to  
be on her side...hmm..." he thought out loud. He finally stopped trying to  
study, and thought only about Naru.  
  
"Ah, if only Mutsumi-san was here. Maybe she might be able to help  
me out. Motoko-san's defending Naru with that damned sword, Suu-chan  
doesn't seem to be concerned, Shinobu-chan is too confused and Kitsune-san  
won't listen to me...what if--aaaah!" he cried in surprise as he suddenly  
felt a weight land on top of his head. The weight was a bit heavy, but  
still very soft and warm, and felt almost...elastic?  
  
Keitaro tried to move as his glasses slipped off of his nose. But  
as he looked up, a single drop of blood dripped from a nostril and landed   
on his clothes.  
  
"Aaaaah! Mutsumi-san!!!"  
  
But it was no use talking to her right now, as she had already  
fainted.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
A few minutes later, the two of them were sitting facing each  
other.  
  
"Ara, I'm sorry, Kei-kun. I did want to surprise you, but not like  
that," Otohime Mutsumi said, with that incredibly carefree look on her   
face. Keitaro just sweatdropped. Maybe she could take Naru off of his  
mind for a while.  
  
"That's okay, Mutsumi-san, but what are you doing here? Weren't  
you supposed to be at your parents' place in Okinawa?"  
  
"Actually...I wanted to get some more watermelons, and before I  
knew it, I arrived here."  
  
"Oh? I see..." It was the usual Mutsumi, all right...  
  
"Ara, Urashima-kun...where's Naru-san?"  
  
'Damn, I hoped she wouldn't ask this question!' Keitaro thought.  
  
"N...nowhere," he managed to reply quickly.  
  
"Nowhere?"  
  
Keitaro shook his head to clear some of the nonsense out of the  
path to his mouth.  
  
"Errr, no, that's not what I meant! She is...she is..."  
  
The door to his room opened, revealing Suu and Shinobu standing  
there.  
  
"Urashima-sempai, lunch is r--"  
  
"Hey, it's Miss Turtle!" Suu exclaimed as she saw Mutsumi. She  
just waved cutely back to them. Keitaro suddenly looked panicked. He  
didn't really have anything to hide now, but his experience from living  
here had proved many times that, when too many unexpected events happen at  
once, the situation could quickly get out of control, especially with the  
Hinata girls.  
  
Shinobu bowed and blurted out, "I'll go make some more food!"  
before running back downstairs. Suu just stayed there.  
  
"Where's Tama?" she asked.  
  
"Ara, I think she went to your hot springs. She missed them very  
much."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
In the hot springs, a turtle was slowly floating on the surface of  
the water.  
  
"Myuuuu......" she sighed in delight as the springs' water warmed  
her through.  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Hummm...fresh-boiled turtle..." Suu began to salivate, fork and  
knife already in her hands. Keitaro just sweatdropped.  
  
"Suu-chan, why don't you go help Shinobu-chan cook...?"  
  
"Hai, hai...!" Suu then left in the opposite direction to the one  
Shinobu went. Keitaro knew well that, whatever he would have said, Suu was  
going to go to the hot springs. Now that Keitaro and Mutsumi were left  
alone, he would have a chance to explain what happened. He turned back to  
face her again. She was smiling so warmly that it felt weird telling her  
about this. Besides, he didn't know how she would react. She was so  
special, so unpredictable. Keitaro liked her very much because of this.   
She had a very striking innocence and naivete, but was also mature and  
thoughtful in her own unique way.  
  
"Mutsumi-san...about Narusegawa..."  
  
"Yes? What about her?"  
  
"Errr...didn't you want to know where she was?"  
  
"Oh, yes, you're right! I forgot about that! So, why isn't she  
here? Did something happen?"  
  
"Well, actually..."  
  
  
* * *  
  
The cardboard boxes in Naru's new room were almost all gone, except  
for two or three of them piled in the corner. She was sitting at her desk,  
reading a notebook under a desktop lamp. It was filled with formulas and   
small scribbles on almost every page, which she had taken down during   
classes.  
  
Naru had time to think about her situation. A lot of time,  
actually. You just had to look at her belly to guess that at least three  
or four months had passed since the incident that took away a lot of the   
good mood at Hinata-sou.  
  
All that thinking had made her reach the conclusion that she  
couldn't throw her studies away like that. Even if she couldn't pass the  
entrance exam this year, she knew she could try next year. Even though her  
will was battling hard to keep that thought front and center in her mind,  
another part of her wouldn't let her forget that, if she took the exam next  
year, it would just add another year to her ronin life. Many times, she  
cursed Keitaro for all this. Before he arrived there, she was doing quite  
well with everything. Sure, without him, there would be something lacking  
in everyday life at the dorm, but...  
  
Still, she was feeling sad for not being able to take the exam this  
year. She had been looking forward to the opportunity, and now it was  
flying away...  
  
'I shouldn't think about that! I have to concentrate concentrate  
concentrate concentrate concentrate!!' Shaking her head, she looked at her  
watch and realized that it was already noon.  
  
'I should get out for a bit. Being stuck here for too long isn't   
good at all.'  
  
With that thought, she left her desk and headed for the door and  
opened it, revealing the bright light of the sun to her eyes. She stepped  
out, and firmly put her hands onto the railing in front of her room. She  
then looked at the sky and smiled. It was nice to feel the warmth of the   
sun again.  
  
'Maybe I should REALLY get out more...' She smiled, leaning  
forward a little and closing her eyes so the warmth would reach her face.  
  
"N...Naru-sempai..."  
  
Naru's eyes opened again, and she turned to her left at the sound  
of the cute voice. It was Shinobu. Under the pressure of all the girls,  
Naru eventually allowed Haruka to reveal the location of her new room to  
the others. At first she feared that Keitaro might come, but, in all those  
weeks, she never saw him at all. Was it the girls' doing? Or did he just  
not want to see her either? She stopped thinking about all that, and  
looked at the young girl before her.  
  
"Shinobu-chan? What's wrong?"  
  
The girl couldn't help but stare at Naru's stomach.  
  
"It looks big, doesn't it? Want to feel it?" Naru asked, smiling.  
Somehow, seeing Shinobu's ever-cute face put her in a good mood.  
  
"Naru-sempai, would you like to come join us for lunch in Hinata-  
sou in just a little bit?"  
  
"Hmm...will Keitaro be there?" she asked in a slightly colder tone,  
but she forced the smile to stay on her face for Shinobu's sake.  
  
"Well, yes."  
  
She knew it.  
  
"Shinobu-chan, listen. I'm sorry, but I can't go see you all now,  
because I...feel a bit sick. Would it be all right if you could please  
bring some of your food here later instead? I'm sorry if I'm asking too  
much..."  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Is it because of Urashima-sempai?"  
  
Naru felt like a boulder had just dropped on her head.  
  
"Shinobu-chan, I need time to think, you know. After what we did,  
I just can't..." Naru softly explained as she put a hand on her swollen  
belly. She really didn't want to discuss it, but she didn't want to offend  
Shinobu, either. Why was she more or less drawn to think about Keitaro,  
anyway? And why wouldn't anybody else leave her alone about him?  
  
"But it's already been three months and 23 days since--"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Well, Urashima-sempai counts it off it on each day of his  
calendar. I noticed it when I came to clean his room yesterday."  
  
Naru looked at Shinobu again, confused.  
  
'Is he...stupid? What kind of idiot would ever write how many days  
passed since something like *that* on his calendar!?'  
  
"Ah...I'm sorry." Shinobu interrupted her.  
  
"...I'll think about it." Naru sighed.  
  
"Really!?" replied the young girl, suddenly very excited.  
  
"Hey, hey, Shinobu-chan, I didn't say I'd be there for sure, did  
I?"  
  
"N...No, you didn't. If I don't see you there, then I'll bring  
back your lunch like you asked," she said, a bit disappointed. Naru  
noticed this and smiled, trying to reassure her.  
  
"Thank you, Shinobu-chan," Naru gently said, and then leaned over  
and kissed her forehead softly, surprising the younger girl. Shinobu  
blushed.  
  
"I...I'll go now." She turned and left. Naru watched her go with  
a smile on her face.  
  
'Everyone's concerned about me...and about you, too.'  
  
She slowly stroked her belly, smiling almost dreamily.  
  
  
* * *  
  
L O V E H I N A - Keitaro's Journey To Hell  
"Small eyes, large breasts, do you know Kitsune-san?" :P  
  
* * *  
  
  
"She's what?" Mutsumi asked, eyes wide open and a hand over her  
cheek. Everyone stared at her, as they were all sitting around the dining  
table.  
  
"Surprising, heh? Who would have thought that he could be so good  
in b--"  
  
"K...Kitsune-san!!!" Keitaro immediately shouted, interrupting her.  
  
Mutsumi chimed in again. "But that's wonderful! A pregnant woman  
is the most beautiful thing in the world!"  
  
Everyone blinked at her. Keitaro spoke after a few seconds.  
  
"Y...You think so?"  
  
"Obviously! Carrying life is a powerful thing!"  
  
They all remained silent.  
  
"Ara? Did I say something wrong?"  
  
"Y...you just sound like you've already done it..."  
  
"Ah, but I haven't! I just read a lot of books! I'm just waiting  
to find somebody nice like Keitaro-kun first!"  
  
Everyone facefaulted.  
  
"Mutsumi-san!!!" Keitaro rose, panicked.  
  
"It's so wonderful, just like in that episode of Liddo-kun and  
friends!"  
  
"I don't want to hear about it..." Keitaro sighed.  
  
Then a door opened, silencing everyone, followed by a woman's voice   
saying, "Tadaima" ["I'm here"]. A familiar young long-haired woman in a   
maternity dress then stepped into the dining room and walked up to the   
table. Everyone had their eyes on her, especially Keitaro, who hadn't seen   
her in months.  
  
Naru took a chair and sat at the table.  
  
"May I have some food, please? I'm starving," she asked, as if  
nothing was wrong at all.  
  
Shinobu quickly got to her feet and stammered for words.  
  
"I-I-I'll bring you a plate right now!" She ran to the kitchen,  
feeling uneasy about the situation.  
  
Actually, she wasn't the only one, as everyone could feel the  
tension in the room.  
  
"Oh, Mutsumi-san, I didn't notice you. When did you arrive here?"  
Naru asked, looking at Mutsumi, who was sitting next to Keitaro. The  
kanririn of Hinata-sou tried to avoid her gaze, even though, deep inside,  
he just wanted to tell her what was on his mind.  
  
"Ara...I lost my way yesterday evening and wandered the streets all  
night, until I finally found Hinata-sou..."  
  
Everyone except Naru face-faulted.  
  
"I see..." she sighed, waiting for her plate. She wasn't her usual  
self at all.  
  
"Still, Otohime-san, the streets aren't very safe at night. You  
could've been attacked by someone," warned Motoko.  
  
"Really?" she replied. Motoko was ready to lecture her about that,  
but hearing her reply like that made her think that maybe it would be  
pointless.  
  
Shinobu came back with what was left of her home-made meal. She  
often made more than originally planned when she prepared food for the  
tenants, as Mitsune and Suu were always asking for more. As a result, she  
had planned to cook something else for Naru, but since she asked for food  
now, those plans were quickly and easily modified.  
  
"Here, Naru-sempai." She put the plate down in front of her, and  
everyone watched as she ate quite intently in silence. She didn't even  
notice the eyes on her because of that.  
  
"I'm finished. Thanks for the meal. I'll go back to my room," she  
softly said as she stood up and left the dining room. Everyone eyed her  
until she was out of sight. The silence was overwhelming. Someone had to  
break it, and Mitsune did, angrily.  
  
"Keitaro, are you stupid or what!? Why didn't you say something to  
her!?"  
  
"Stupid, stupid, Keitaro's stupid!" Suu beamed, jumping on the  
table and kicking Keitaro's face, making him fall backwards.  
  
"Aaah! Suu-chan, stop kicking me!"  
  
"Suu just doing what I wanna do to you right now! You should have  
said something to her!" the foxy lady snarled.  
  
"But what could I have said?" he asked in grunts, as Suu was now  
using his body as a trampoline. No one tried to stop her, as experience  
had proved that Keitaro's body was nearly invincible.  
  
"Something like 'Narusegawa, I'm so sorry,' or, better yet, 'I'll  
help you with your child. It's going to be all right.' But no, no..."  
  
Motoko chimed in as well, "She is right. A man has to be  
responsible, and you didn't even try to do anything to help her!"  
  
"You could have forced her to listen by barging into her room,  
kissing her deeply and then whispering words of comfort into her ear..."  
Mitsune said dreamily.  
  
"Ack! But she doesn't even let me approach her! It's like she's  
running away from me!" Keitaro finally managed to say, between Suu's jumps.  
  
Everyone was stunned by his words, realizing something they hadn't  
even thought about before. Suu stopped bouncing on him, and Mitsune rubbed  
her chin with her fingers.  
  
"Girls, he's right there. Naru hasn't given him a chance at all."  
  
"B...But what can we do?" Shinobu asked, concerned.  
  
"'We'? He's the one who made her pregnant. She didn't do it  
alone," Motoko remarked, still on Naru's side. This hurt Keitaro quite a  
bit.  
  
"Allriiiiiiight!" Mitsune stood up, now wearing a general's  
uniform for some reason, and cleared her throat. "Let's have a Hinata-sou  
council right now! It's in time of crisis like those that we need to do  
something for our friends!"  
  
"H...Huh!?" Keitaro asked, dumbfounded.  
  
"Yes, we have to do something," Motoko added, standing up from her  
seat. Suu bounced on Keitaro's back one more time before heading off with  
everyone towards their council place--the hot springs.  
  
"H...hey!" Keitaro looked around. He hadn't heard much from  
Mutsumi during this discussion. Instead, at her place, a turtle was  
nibbling at the food on her plate. It stopped and looked up at him.  
  
"Myu?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"Naru-san..."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Naru turned around. As she was about to enter her room, she saw  
that Mutsumi had followed her.  
  
"Is it Urashima-kun's baby in there?" she asked, gesturing at  
Naru's belly.  
  
"Ah, err...yes, it is." she admitted, blushing a bit.  
  
"Ara ara...I knew you two would eventually come to this, just like  
in that Liddo-kun episode..."  
  
"Yes, yes, I remember." Naru actually didn't, since this was  
probably another case of her incorrectly remembering something about the  
kids' show 'Liddo-kun and friends,' which they both watched when they were  
much younger, but she didn't want to tell her that she was wrong.  
  
"Ah, that's great. So are you two going to marry, like at the end  
of the episode, and have a sweet honeymoon and--"  
  
Naru interrupted her with a sudden outburst.  
  
"NO, NO, NO! I'm not going to marry him! No way! And stop  
talking about that already!!"  
  
Mutsumi stood there, looking a bit shocked...and then fell in a  
dead faint.  
  
"Aaaaah, Mutsumi-san!! I'm sorry!" She ran to the unconscious  
girl and quickly carried her into her room, laying her down on her bed.  
  
"Mutsumi-san! Mutsumi-san!"  
  
"Hmmm...did I faint again?" the Okinawa girl murmured, feeling a  
bit dizzy.  
  
Naru sighed in relief. She had almost forgotten how fragile  
Mutsumi was.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mutsumi-san."  
  
"Ara ara..."  
  
"But why did you follow me up here? I hope Keitaro didn't follow  
you. I really don't want to see him again."  
  
"What are you talking about, Naru-san?"  
  
Naru sighed. Maybe it was useless to tell Mutsumi about that. She  
wouldn't understand, anyway. No one would. Or would they? She needed to  
talk...to a neutral person. Surely, none of the other girls at Hinata-sou  
would understand her; not even Kitsune. She felt bad thinking that way  
about her best friend, but somehow, she felt that it would be useless to  
talk with her. She didn't know how to explain it properly. She didn't  
even know what her problem was exactly in the first place.  
  
"Mutsumi-san, please listen to me..."  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
"I declare the council open. The topic of today is Naru!" Mitsune  
announced, a towel wrapped around her body.  
  
The council place was actually the place where the girls could get  
away from Keitaro and talk freely. Not that this didn't concern him at   
all, but they needed as much secrecy as possible right now. They could   
have gone to the attic, but Keitaro knew about that place, so that was out.   
At least, in the hot springs, they had a pretty valid reason to throw him   
out if he tried to eavesdrop.  
  
"Hiiiya! What about Naru?" young Suu asked, curious about the  
exact topic of the day, as she splashed her hands on the surface of the  
water.  
  
"Well, I think Naru has a problem," Mitsune added.  
  
"Obviously. It's Urashima, isn't it?" Motoko asked.  
  
"Not exactly. I think that she really has a problem with herself."  
  
"Herself?" Shinobu inquired.  
  
"Right! Why is she isolating herself from us? Because she wants  
to avoid Keitaro!"  
  
"This is true. Knowing her, she would have killed him. And, if  
you ask me, I would have done that myself months ago," Motoko remarked.  
  
"Calm down, Motoko. We have to act wisely. Our main objective is  
to get them together and force them to talk to each other!"  
  
"Ah...but how can we do that?" Shinobu asked.  
  
"Well, we have several options--" Mitsune began.  
  
"--like tying them to pillars and pinching their noses so they  
eventually open their mouths and talk?" Suu suggested.  
  
"Isn't that torture?" Shinobu asked, while thinking of ideas.  
  
"We could always take Naru somewhere secluded, ask her to wait  
there and then tell Urashima someone's waiting for him there, and..."  
  
Motoko stopped explaining her idea as she saw the others looking  
strangely at her.  
  
"...That's sooo romantic!" Shinobu exclaimed, with stars in her  
eyes.  
  
"Motoko wants that to happen to her!" Suu exclaimed, playing with  
Motoko's hair.  
  
"S...Shut up!" Motoko retorted, blushing in embarrassment.  
  
"Nah, that wouldn't work. They'd never fall for such an old  
trick," Mitsune said, after a few seconds of thought.  
  
Shinobu finally came out with her idea. "Why don't we get them to  
write to each other?"  
  
Mitsune considered the idea for a few seconds as well.  
  
"This could work. But isn't Keitaro lousy with letters?"  
  
"Isn't he a loser in the first place?" Motoko added bitterly.  
  
"Myuuuuuu!"  
  
Tamago the turtle flew up to them, carrying a sealed envelope.   
Mitsune snatched the envelope out of its mouth and tore it open without   
even looking to see who it was intended for.  
  
"Kitsune-san...I think this is for Urashima-sempai..." Shinobu  
noted.  
  
"Who cares? He's the manager of this place, so it involves all of  
us." She then began to read the letter. Somehow, Mitsune's reasoning was  
right, in a way.  
  
A few seconds passed as she frowned, still reading.  
  
"What the HELL did he do!?" she exclaimed out loud, as the other  
girls came closer in order to read it as well.  
  
"Heyyyyyy! Tama-chan, come back with that letter, it's very imp--"  
Keitaro called as he stepped outside, in front of the hot springs...where  
all the girls were bathing.  
  
Motoko clenched her fist.  
  
"Urashimaaaaa...!"  
  
"Aaaah! Motoko-chan, I can explain!!"  
  
Too late. Motoko drew her sword, which had been laying on the  
rocks near the water.  
  
"Hiken Zanmaken!" she screamed as the hurricane coming off of her  
blade connected with his head, sending him high into the sky.  
  
"T...That pervert!" she growled, shaking.  
  
Suu followed the trajectory of his flight and exclaimed, "Wah! A  
direct hit to the Naru HQ!"  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
Naru was still sitting next to Mutsumi on her bed, and talking  
about what had been weighing so heavily on her mind all this time.  
  
"You know, Mutsumi-san, I think I really do like--"  
  
"Ara? What's that sound?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Indeed, as Naru looked up, she could hear the sound of something  
flying at high speed, like a missile. She screamed and Mutsumi ara-ara-ed  
as a flailing body came through the ceiling, letting the sun's light   
through it. As the dust cleared from her view, Naru gasped in shock.  
  
Lying on the ground was a dazed Keitaro, surprisingly with only a  
few bruises, as usual. The guy was definitely invincible.  
  
"Oh, Urashima-kun! Did you come to save Naru-san like the   
Liddo-kun prince in that episode when--"  
  
"Mutsumi-san, that's enough already!" Naru interrupted her,  
panicking. She wasn't ready for this yet.  
  
Keitaro groaned and coughed as he slowly stood up. He looked  
around the room briefly.  
  
"W...Where did I land? Aaah, Narusegawa!" he exclaimed, realizing  
that she was sitting there, on her bed. He shielded himself with his arms,  
thinking that she was surely going to punch him back into orbit. To his  
surprise, no punch came.  
  
"K...Keitaro..." She blushed a bit...yet she didn't know why. She  
didn't want to know. She wasn't ready; all she wanted to do now was kick  
him out of there and run far, far, far away...  
  
"Narusegawa... I can explain...!" he stammered.  
  
"Keitaro..."  
  
She looked down at him. He didn't seem to want her any harm...but  
why was she running away from him in the first place? She couldn't even  
think of it now, because her mind was fogged with thoughts of him.   
Realizing that, she blushed even more, feeling suddenly stupid about all  
this. She turned away from him and clenched her fist, wanting to say  
something. She wanted to ease her soul, and maybe that would do it...  
  
"I'm sorry for everything!" both said at the same time, surprising  
each other.  
  
"Ara, ara! That's so cute! Kei-kun and Naru-chan reconciling!"  
  
"H...Huh?" Naru turned again, looking at him with surprised eyes.  
  
"Naru! Incredible news...! Huh?" Mitsune announced, barging into  
the room with the others behind her.  
  
A flying turtle dropped on Naru's head and held a letter to her  
face, surprising the young pregnant woman.  
  
"Myuuuuu!"  
  
"What is...this?"  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
To be continued...  
  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Sorry if the end was kinda disappointing and the wait was long, but I had a  
lot of personal matters to take care of, as well as a few sites to pull  
back up from the dead, thanks to my former webhost free.fr. Hopefully,  
Easynet is giving me the opportunity to put back up my sites, with a lot of  
enhanced features :) I can now use streaming, and a lot of helpful coding  
that was disabled on purpose on my former host. The retooler is also  
largely to blame. One of these days he's gonna get cured of his chronic  
procrastination.  
  
That aside, I'll try to make up for the wait and release chapter 4 very  
soon for your reading pleasure (and hope that the retooler won't drag his   
heels that time). However, I can't really promise anything, as I'm trying   
to begin a new fanfiction based on the anime game "Eve Burst Error".  
  
The story behind this game was just so wonderful that I couldn't help but  
make a fanfic for it. If you ever have the chance to get and play the   
game, take it. You'll enjoy an excellent read, supported by pics, voices   
and animation (hentai-game style, but it doesn't contain much hentai :)  
  
Enough for now :)  
  
Axel Terizaki 


End file.
